Toy balls



Nov. 22, 1 M. B. JOHNS 2,960,794

TOY BALLS Filed March 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MARY B. JOHNS BY dZwuiuW ATTORNEYS M. B. JOHNS Nov. 22, 1960 TOYBALLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1958 INVENTOR MARY B. JOHNS M v. 5PM? a/au'y v.

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ATTORNEYS United States This invention relates generally to rubber toys and more particularly and specifically to hollow air-filled rubber toys having expansible, extensible parts.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved rubber toy of such a construction as to provide amusement and entertainment through a multiple of diversified uses of the single toy.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved and unique rubber toy construction which embodies structural characteristics enabling the conversion of the toy from one physical form, designed for one form of amusement or play, 'to a different physical form intended for a diversified type of amusement or play.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a hollow, rubber toy construction providing for the changing of the toys character through means of expansible pop out" parts operable by external hand pressure on the toy.

Still another object of this invention lies in the provision of pressure extensible members formed integrally in a hollow rubber toy which produces on the surface of the toy changeable exhibitors for the purpose of amusement and entertainment of children.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

The nature of the present invention may be stated in general terms as relating to a toy consisting of a hollow, circular wall forming an air-filled spherical member or ball, a plurality of spaced segments about the spherical surface being of reduced thickness and normally infolded within the interior of the sphere, and said infolded areas being non-uniform in surface configuration and expansible outwardly beyond the normal spherical plane of the ball surface upon external hand pressure thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 illustrates the toy in normal condition representing a play ball.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ball illustrating the division of the spherical surface for the provision of plural characterizations thereon.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of the ball illustrating in perspective the formation of some of the extensible members representing an ear.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the ball and one of the ear forming extensible members.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one mouth forming extensible member and an associated eye forming member both in normal position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the extensible members in extended positions.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the nature of the toy changed to a character forming toy with the expansible members in extended positions.

atent 'tions in the spherical surface of the ball.

"2,960,794 Patented Nov. 22, 1 960 The toy forming the present invention is shown in an embodiment consisting of a spherical ball, preferably, but not necessarily, of a diameter from six to eight inches, the surface of which is divided into three separate areas each area having means for producing therein a separate and distinct animal face, such as a cat, owl, dog or the like. However, it is not contemplated nor intended that the dimensions of the present toy be limited within any particular range or that the characterizations formable on the toy surface be limited in number or type to those shown since the accompanying drawings are illustrative only of the concepts of this invention.

As is seen in the accompanying drawings, the toy constituting the preferred and illustrative embodiment of this invention consists of a hollow, air-filled rubber sphere or ball 10 defined by a continuous, spherical wall of uniform thickness except in preselected areas wherein extensible appendages are to be formed in manners to be hereinafter described. The spherical ball surface is divided into three lenticular segments, as shown in dotted line, Fig. 2, and the surface area defined within each lenticular segment is provided with means to produce a semblance of an animal or like character face. Particularly, each lenticular segment area is provided with expansible portions extensible upon increase of internal pressure, such parts representing eyes and mouth or tongue members for the character -formation and ear appendages complemented by printed indicia on the ball surface, generally designated at 12, producing semblances of eyebrows, whiskers, grin lines and the like.

Continuing to refer to Fig. 2 of the drawings, there are shown three segmental areas 14, 16 and 18 on the spherical surface, each of which lies centrally on one of the three lines of lenticular division of the spherical surface, and all of said segments being equally spaced from one axial point of intersection of the three 1enticular division lines adjacent one end of'the spherical ball. The spherical wall of the ball is formed of reduced thickness within these three segmented areas, and, as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the continuity of the spherical wall of the ball is interrupted in such a manner in these areas as to provide an infolded triangular flap 20 which is precreased as at 22 so as to permit the flap to be folded upon itself, as in Fig. 4, to retain general continuity of the spherical surface of the ball. Each of the triangular infolded flaps 20 serves to form an ear member to the two adjacent characterizations in the adjacent lenticular segment areas on either side of the lenticular division upon which the flap is centered. The triangular character of the flap provides a three dimensional ear presenting angular surfaces in diverse directions oriented to complement the radially spaced faces in the adjacent lenticular segment areas.

In addition to the above described ear flaps each lenticular segment area is provided with two eye members and a complementary mouth member formed by varia- As seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the eye members 24- are formed by oval areas of the surface wall which are of reduced thickness and which are partially infolded as at 26 within the interior of the sphere to bring the central area of the oval wall section inwardly into coincidence with the plane of the spherical surface. In the same view it is seen that a circular section of reduced wall thickness is similarly infolded upon itself to form a tongue member 28 the central point of which is also normally in coincidence with the plane of the spherical surface.

As is best seen in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the spherical wall of the ball is formed with a thickened bead 30 continuously about those areas of reduced wall thickness forming the eye, tongue and ear members hcreinbefore described. The bead 30 is an integral formation with the spherical wall of the ball and serves to add rigidity to the wall about the areas of reduced thickness and at the same time physically separate those areas from the internal areas of the sphere with greater wall thickness.

It is readily seen from the drawings that the ball formed by the spherical wall structure may be used in conventional manner as a play ball by children for play and amusement. Additionally, the ball is so constructed as to provide a diverse form of amusement through the production of characterized faces in the three lenticular segment areas of the spherical surface of the ball by the application of hand pressure at spaced points on the exterior of the ball which produces an increase in internal pressure causing the production of expansible forces against the internal wall of the ball which in turn causes extension of those areas of the spherical wall of reduced thickness outwardly from the common plane of the spherical surface. Obviously the areas of reduced thickness are those representative of the facial members which are caused to pop out creating depth and detail in complement to the indicia-created facial semblances on the ball surface.

The extensible character and operation of the eye,

tongue and ear members of the toy are generally illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings wherein the extensible movement of the eye and tongue members 24 and 28 are illustrated as a result of the increase of internal pressure within the spherical ball acting outwardly on those areas of the wall of reduced thickness and lessened resistance to pressure variations. It is also seen in Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings how each triangulated ear flap serves to present an ear surface properly oriented to two adjacent facial characters about the perimeter of the ball lending greater realism and detail to the functional character of the toy.

The foregoing has made clear the multiple and diverse uses to which the subject toy may be put while at the same time clearly demonstrating the uniqueness and novelty of the toy construction and the unexpected results obtainable therefrom.

Having thus described the illustrative embodiments of the concepts of this invention demonstrating the achievement and satisfaction of the objects hereinbefore set forth, what is desired to be claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture consisting of a spherical hollow casing of flexible material, indicia lines dividing said casing into plural spherical lenticular segments, indicia within each segment on said casing depicting in appropriate relationship certain facial characteristics of different animal forms, certain areas of said casing within each lenticular segment being of reduced thickness and irregular surface configuration permitting of the expansible extension thereof upon compression of said sphere, and one such area of reduced casing thickness being provided on each line of spherical lenticular division in complement to the facial indicia on both adjacent spherical lenticular segments.

2. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein each area of reduced casing thickness located on each line of lenticular division of the spherical casing surface is provided with a triangulated non-uniform surface configuration which upon extension from the spherical surface will form an ear simulation common to the face characters on the two adjacent lenticular segments bounding that line of division upon which such area of reduced thickness is located.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,782 Checkeni Feb. 20, 1866 1,352,047 Boje Sept. 7, 1920 1,425,974 Kearney Aug. 15, 1922 1,555,644 Duncan Sept. 29, 1925 1,820,124 Dorogi et al. Aug. 25, 1931 2,086,631 Munro July 13, 1937 2,668,394 Auzin Feb. 9, 1954 2,701,934 Auzin Feb. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,027,624 France May 13, 1953 

